Co-Op for Employers

Cooperative education integrates the student's academic study with related work experience. It
complements and enhances academic training while providing a professional introduction to the student's
chosen career field.

How Can My Organization Benefit from Hiring a Co-op Student?

Your organization can benefit from the following:

Creating access to a new and economical source of manpower

Providing a cost effective mechanism for recruiting employees with a high rate of retention,
quality performance and rate of promotability

Increasing staff diversity

Releasing highly trained employees from routine tasks, freeing them for more complex projects

What Are My Responsibilities as an Employer?

Establish the job requirements and prepare a job description, including the number of hours to be worked
per week.

Relate the job assignments to the student's curriculum and career goals. The work experience should
increase in difficulty and/or responsibility as the student progresses through the academic curriculum.
Job assignments may be rotated to provide the student with a variety of experiences.

Compensate the student by one of the following options:

Hourly wage

Wage plus tuition reimbursement

Wage plus textbook allowance

Wage plus parking

Spend "up-front" time training the student; challenge the student with projects that require thought
and creativity; and complete an evaluation form at the end of each work semester.

What are the Program Requirements?

Parallel Plan: students work 15-25 hours per week while they attend classes during the 15-week semester.

Alternating Plan: students alternate semesters of full-time work (40 hours per week) with semesters of
full-time studies.

Students are to work a minimum of two semesters and may work as many as six semesters. In the event that
the placement is an inappropriate match, either the employer or the student may initiate the termination of
the co-op agreement. Students may earn academic credit to fulfill program requirements by demonstrating,
through a specified academic assignment, the learning gained during the work experience.

What Background Do Students Bring to Employers?

Students bring fresh ideas, enthusiasm and problem-solving ability to the workplace.

Students must be of a sophomore or higher standing and must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 to participate in
the co-op program. Eligible students have the approval of the departmental faculty co-op coordinator.

How Do I Participate in the TMC Co-op Program?

Provide the Career Planning Center with a job description for each position available. Based on your criteria,
the Career Planning Center forwards appropriate resumes to the department of Co-Op coordinators.